No-one wants to travel for business any more

Is the handshake deal a thing of the past? Possibly, as new research reveals that UK business travellers are losing their appetite for work trips. 

The findings, from global travel risk management organisation World Travel Protection, suggest that in-person client relationship building could be at risk, as more than four in ten employees are less keen on business travel due to the changing world of work.

Below, we explore in more detail the reasons why UK employees may prefer to stay in familiar territory in favour of taking work trips.

No wanderlust for UK workers

The study from World Travel Protection, which was carried out by Opinium, surveyed 500 UK business travellers and found that the majority are falling out of love with travelling for work. 

The top reason was travel disruption and delays, with 74% of respondents citing this as a concern. Rail strikes and other travel disruptions are already putting many workers off commuting into the office. Now, they’re also affecting longer journeys. 

We’ve already seen a fair amount of travel chaos this year, with London’s Heathrow Airport recently being forced to close following a fire. 

Travel across Europe is set to be marred with more disruption over the Easter bank holiday weekend due to strike action. Understandably, this means that business travellers would rather stay put to avoid the headaches of being stuck at the airport.

Furthermore, global instability caused by ongoing geopolitical conflict and terrorism risks putting UK workers off from taking work trips.

When asked, almost half (47%) of business travellers said they feel less safe than they used to, with 60% believing business travel comes with more risks than in the past.

Is it all because of remote work?

It’s possible that the anti-work travel sentiment is also being cemented by the rise of remote work. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, some workers are less happy to travel to work. 

While there have been widespread debates surrounding remote work vs. returning to the office, travel chaos may be contributing to the growing population of homebodies. 

The unpredictability of airport security queues, lost luggage, and flight delays might make traveling seem less appealing, especially when much of today’s business can effectively be conducted over Zoom.

Another concern could be the loss of important digital items which are becoming increasingly key in a remote-working world. 

The study shows that the main safety concern for 72% of business travellers is the loss of important belongings such as a business phone, laptop, or passport. 

What employers can do to support traveller safety

While video conferencing may get the job done, Zoom calls aren’t the most effective mode of communication for relationship building. 

Despite its hassles, business travel remains a core pillar of building strong client relationships, networking, and meeting suppliers. With this in mind, businesses should continue to encourage employees to embark on work trips. 

Bosses hoping to send employees abroad should implement a strong duty of care to ensure their safety and pay attention to modern risks. 

For example, managers should pay attention to cybersecurity risks when their employees are working from abroad. Similarly, companies should be mindful about sending LGBT+ employees to less tolerant regions. By taking pre-trip and back-up planning seriously, work trips don’t have to be a cause for concern. 

An alternative approach may be to explore workation policies, which allow employees to travel on their own terms by combining it with time off.